Autopsy: 2 Navy Divers Drowned at Md. Test Pond

Autopsies of two Navy divers who died in a test pond at Aberdeen Proving Ground in February have concluded they accidentally drowned, the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Monday.

That is the only autopsy information the agency has been authorized to release about any of the three divers who died earlier this year at the Army installation about 20 miles northeast of Baltimore, spokesman Bruce Goldfarb said.

Navy Diver 1st Class James Reyher of Caldwell, Ohio, and Navy Diver 2nd Class Ryan Harris of Gladstone, Mo., died Feb. 26 while working at an underwater weapons-testing facility called the Super Pond.

Their deaths and that of civilian engineering technician George Lazzaro Jr., remain under investigation by several military and civilian agencies. Lazzaro, 41, of Nottingham, died at the pond Jan. 30 while doing underwater maintenance.

Military officials closed the pond to all activities in late February pending the outcome of the investigations.

The Navy diver deaths are under investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the diver's Virginia Beach, Va.-based unit, U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2.

Lazzaro's death is under investigation by the Army Combat Readiness/Safety Center at Fort Rucker, Ala.; the Army's Criminal Investigation Division; and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Comments may be monitored for inappropriate content, but the station is under no legal obligation to do so.
If you believe a comment violates the above rules, please use the Flagging Tool to alert a Moderator.
Flagging does not guarantee removal.

Multiple violations may result in account suspension.
Decisions to suspend or unsuspend accounts are made by Station Moderators.
Questions may be sent to comments@kbtx.com.
Please provide detailed information.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.